LET THEM HAVE THIS MOMENT

 Genesis 21:1-7

And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. ² For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.  ⁴ Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵ Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”

⁷ She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

We’re going to let Sarah have this moment. 

Paul counseled early Roman Christians, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). But some of us have a terrible habit of contaminating moments of legitimate rejoicing with our pessimism.

“Brother, the Lord blessed me with that promotion I’ve been praying for.”

“Praise the Lord, man.  But you know that the enemy’s gonna try to set you up, now.”

“Hey, girl.  I just got engaged!”

“Ooh, I’m so happy for you.  Make sure ya’ll get counseling because more Christians get divorced that atheists.”

The responses above are wise and correct, solidly grounded in Biblical principles and academic research.  But the responders miss what the Scripture has preached since ancient Rome.  Don’t poop on good parties.  Don’t rain on righteous parades.  Don’t weep with people who were rejoicing before you got there.   

So, as we visualize Sarah in Genesis 21:1-7, we are going to let her have this moment.

Cause she’s 90, dude.  For 25 years she’d listened to a promise that was impossible when God first spoke it(Genesis 12:5), and she’d given up on her miracle.  But here it was.    Post-menopausal conception.  Pregnancy carried to term.  Natural child birth.  No epidural.  A baby.  Her healthy baby boy. 

Some moments are so infused with ridiculous levels of pure joy that your body doesn’t know what to do so it just defaults to it nervous response to awkwardness: laughter.

Genesis 21:1 - 7 was that kind of moment.

And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

Let her have that.

I know you’ve read ahead.  You know the drama and pettiness coming next.  We’ll get there.  But right now Sarah is rejoicing.  Rejoice with her. 

Practice with Sarah what you’ll do next time a friend shares their testimony of a blessing.  Rehearse not pointing out how the whole thing could go sideways.  With Sarah as your case study, model rejoicing with those who rejoice.

Don’t endorse foolishness.  Don’t be silent to so-called blessings that are actually opportunities to sin dressed up in church jargon.  But when the blessing is a blessing, hold on before you share your gift of prophetic pessimism.   

Let them have that moment.  Rejoice with them.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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